With all the bad news that seems to be plaguing our world, I wanted to share some inspiration – some good news. Even in the midst of a national tragedy, some people (more specifically, small people) are striving to do good. I love this recent story of a big-hearted boy who did what he could to make a difference:
Boy, 9, Sells Toys To Raise $2.85 For Giffords
Nine-year-old Isaac Saldana of Tucson, Ariz., was so upset when he heard about the shootings in his hometown that he felt compelled to do something in response.
"Me and my brother were about to go walk the dog when we saw them saying on TV that a little girl and Gabrielle Giffords got shot," he told HuffPost. "I just thought, whoa! I didn't know that people carry around guns here in Tucson. It scared me a little."
Saldana said he decided the best way to help would be to gather some of his toys from home, as well as a bracelet his father had brought him after one his deployments as a U.S. Marine, and sell them at school to raise money for Giffords.
"I felt really bad about Gabrielle being in the hospital and getting shot, so I just wanted to help her," he said.
After raising a total of $2.85, Saldana put the money into an envelope with a get-well card and mailed it to Giffords' hospital room. His mother, Aracely Saldana, said she had no idea what he was up to.
"I didn't even know what was going on," she told HuffPost. "I received an email from his teacher saying she just wanted to give me a heads-up that she caught him in class selling toys, so she took his backpack away later that day. I asked him what was going on and he told me the reason he was doing it was that he was trying to raise money to send to Gabrielle."
Aracely Saldana, 30, said that when she learned her son had raised the money and mailed it to Giffords without her knowing, she was so touched that she teared up.
Across the country, another nine-year-old offers inspiration:
Girl Gives Up Birthday Presents for Abused Animals
Every child looks forward to their birthday, and this year, Karlie Smick has a lot to celebrate.
"I am 8, but I'm turning 9 this week," Karlie said.
This year, Karlie is passing up the cake and ice cream. Instead, she's collecting donations for her charity: Karlie's Cause.
"She came to me when she was 6 years old, going on 7," said Karlie's mom, Kelly-Jean Smick. "She told me that, 'you know mom, Santa brings me enough presents. I don't need any more toys. How about we do something for the animals'?"
On her seventh and eighth birthdays alone, Karlie collected more than 500 pounds of pet food and hundreds of dollars.
But an 8-year-old passing up a party and presents? It is almost hard to believe.
"I have more of a heart of animals than any of that," Karlie said. "I wouldn't want a party or gifts. Well, the gifts I get enough for Christmas. But the party, I'm just not a partier."
The donations from Karlie's Cause help abused animals. This year, she's giving to Ziggy's Friends Rescue in Grafton.
"Unbelievable! Karlie gave up her birthday presents, but she gave us a present," said June Arnesen, owner of Ziggy's Friends Rescue, a rescue effort with Paws in the Woods. "A little kitty, they thought had a broken leg, a hurt leg. Turned out, she needed hip surgery. That's $350 just for that, and I also was going to spade her. You're talking $600."
The money Karlie raised this year will help Scooter, an abused cat that needed surgery. Karlie gets donors as far as California and New York.
"Makes you want to cry cause you're just so proud of her," her mom said. "I mean, like you said, how many kids do you know at 6 years old have the empathy and love for the animals and know that there are animals out there in need of homes and food?"
Karlie said she wants others to help those less fortunate, especially, furry friends.
"The animals here, if they don't have food and they don't have the water, they're probably going to die," Karlie said. "Pets are not our whole life, but they make our life whole."
These are just a few examples that show us how important it is for us to teach our children about giving back and making a difference. And about forgoing our own luxuries in efforts to help others.
But it is also stories like these that remind me how much we can, in turn, learn from our children. The earnestness and eagerness of these children is indeed inspiring. I am humbly reminded how easy it is to give back. And how easy it can be.
So if nine-year-olds have got it down, then what’s our excuse?
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